Old School Forehand Versus Modern Forehand

If you're of a certain vintage, then you learned to play tennis with the classic linear forehand. You took the racket back early, played mostly neutral or closed stance, and followed through toward the target.

The modern forehand clearly looks different. It involves different grips and the use of more rotational force. The effect is far more spin, control, and angles.

There are really 2 issues to discuss here.

The first is the advantage of the modern forehand versus the classical for the club player. The second is how to hit the modern forehand and retrain yourself.

Let's start off with the first issue. As I see it, the classical forehand can be very effective at the club level if hit well. It is especially effective if your opponents are hitting a ball that doesn't bounce too high as the classic forehand is hit with a conservative grip ( eastern or continental).

However, if you're a bit of a old-timer and you're playing younger players who have grown up being taught the modern forehand, you may find that it becomes very difficult to handle the high bouncing balls produced by the modern forehand.

And, you may marvel at the ease of which the modern forehand players can destroy high balls.

So, the classical forehand may or may not be an advantage depending on whom you're playing.

The second issue is the technical differences between the two and how you can retrain yourself to hit the modern forehand.

The modern forehand is what is referred to as a multi-segment forehand as opposed to the single segment classical forehand. What this means is that in the classical forehand the entire arm from the shoulder down moves as a single block.

On the other hand, in the modern forehand, there is a movement of multiple segments including the shoulder. elbow, and wrist.

There's also far more rotation involved in the modern forehand.

Here are 2 resources to get you started in exploring the differences:

A short video illustrating the differences

A second video illustrating the differences

Until next time,


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics For Playing All Different Types guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Volleying Tips From The Old School

Recently, I've had the pleasure of hitting with a 73 year old man at our club.

Not just any 73 year old man, mind you, but a former Davis Cupper and someone can regale you with stories about greats like Don Budge, Pancho Gonzalez, and the Aussies.

A fine gentleman as well.

But, let's get to the tennis part of things.

Obviously, he's from the old school with conservative grips and the traditional linear groundstrokes of that era. But, what an eye for correct technique on the volley and backhand approach shot.

All great volleyers contact the ball in front of them. Most club players contact the ball further back and then wonder why they don't get the stick and angle they desire.

The problem is that most club players may think they're contacting out in front but, in fact, actually aren't.

So, when I'm on the court with this senior with the wisdom of the ages, he continually reminds me to contact out front. When you start to get it, the ball has far more zip.

I noticed the difference in one of our weekly doubles matches. One of the foursome is a fine player with soft hands who can volley well but tends to catch the ball late and let it bounce off the racket instead of sticking it.

When, I got into exhanges at the net I was almost guaranteed to win since his volley had no stick and therefore gave me time to react, whereas my volleys had more zip and ultimately forced the error and won me the point.

So, even if you don't have an ex-pro drilling you on an in-front contact point, remind yourself and practice until you get the feel.

Until next time,


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics For Beating The Next Guy guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Playing A Talented Pusher

Here's a tennis tip -- consider changing your patterns when playing tall guys.Probably, the most frustrating thing for the typical player is playing what we call a pusher.

That's unless you're the pusher who drives everyone else crazy.

Let's first define what we mean by a pusher.

A pusher is a player who tends to get a lot of balls back with little pace, forcing his or her opponent to create all the pace and actively win the points.

Most people think pushers are inferior players because of their lack of pace and get easily frustrated when they start losing.

And, of course, not all pushers are at the same level. The really high level ones are quick as cats and put the ball in very awkward positions in the court.

So, what are some of the approaches to playing the pusher?

The first is mental. Instead of getting ticked off at the lack of classic tennis that the pusher is playing, start off by admiring their unique brand of artistry. Accept playing them as a real challenge.

If you start to lose, then try to stay calm and figure out what patterns the pusher is using to defeat you.

Often, the pusher's opponent will try to attack very early in points because the slow balls of the pusher look very inviting. Instead, be patient and vary your attacks. If attacking early isn't working then move the pusher around and then try and attack later in the point. Try to vary your pattern so that the pusher doesn't know when you're going to attack.

Avoid overhitting and try to focus on a good follow through to create depth. Wait patiently until you have a very solid attack opportunity.

Next time, we'll talk about positions on the court that the pusher hits to and what possible responses there are.

Until next time,


Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tactics For Playing The Tennis Pusher guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
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Tennis Tips When Playing Tall Guys

Here's a tennis tip -- consider changing your patterns when playing tall guys.

Every few months I play a friend of mine who's a rangy 6 feet 4 inches. He's an old school attacking player with flat strokes, takes everything early, and comes to the net where he's very effective and difficult to pass or lob.

Normally, I can control baseline rallies with my groundies and be safe from attack unless I hit a short ball. However, this guy's length enables him to cut off a ton of well-hit crosscourt groundstrokes and push the ball up the line while coming in. It's very disconcerting to say the least.

I've already changed my serving pattern when playing him and tend to serve at his body instead of going for the corners. I find that it's easier to jam him than to beat him wide or down the middle.

So, the next time I play him, I'm going to hit deep down the middle and try not to give him good attacking angles.

I'll let you know how it goes.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies Top Tennis Tips To Win Big Matches guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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Training With The Number One Guy In Canada

Sorry for the recent gap in posting. Sometimes, life just gets so busy that something has to give.

In the fall, I had the opportunity to train with the number one player in Canada in the 45's. The whole experience was very educational.

As always, there are technical as well as tactical issues. Since this blog focuses on tactical aspects, the only thing I will say about technique is that this guy has simplified takebacks as compared to most well-known pros, and uses less wrist action on his groundies.

The main difference I noticed was the consistent depth of shot. While at a certain level, most shots have reasonable depth, there is usually quite a bit of variation in the depth. So, a top player can just be patient when playing a lower player because he knows that sooner or later, he will get a short ball or an error.

The next thing I noticed was much better footwork when moving. Many players are strong hitting their strokes when stationary, but their strokes break down when they are forced to move. Again, better players can win relatively easily by hitting safe shots that require their opponents to move.

The surprising thing was that power wasn't really an issue.

So, when you're practicing focus on consistent depth, especially when you're forced to move.
Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies How Top Tennis Players Win Big Matches guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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Trails you leave behind....(aka Celebration of Champions)

Statistics - I have long abhorred in tennis. For it simplifies the great intricacies of the game and masks the glory. Those numbers with absolute accuracy and so less precision. Numbers that betray the magic. Numbers that give away so little and hold back the spontaneity. Numbers that say so little and yet make one cling to them more tenaciously.. Numbers don't tell history and very few, if any, can be viewed with any high esteem in tennis.

In an eagerness to rewrite history and put things in orderly boxes, history has been untold and retold with much ambiguity and propriety. All has been said and mulled over about Open era, French open not open to foreigners in early years, distinction between amateur and professional tennis, scope and impact of Australian open till 1990s, impact of non-wooden rackets and 14 as the magic number of slams and so on... Numerous tricks have been pulled. History rewritten, forgotten and the glorious past, all but nothing more than shoved away.

However, one can still use a such number to highlight events that can take us away, back to the time, when things were not so simple. Tennis, as everything else on this world, evolves. These grand slams did not spur out of no where. They evolved, changed, and over a long run moved forward.. Let us explore the three such slams with distinguished history, those of the kind that weather two world wars, great depression, tyranny, birth of world leaders and so on..

Wimbledon - The birth place of modern tennis. Undeterred by changing times, where tradition takes front seat to change. Whites all around and the great grass courts. And held in the same place since 1877, the years gone by.

US Open - In the New world of 1900s, USA with its frontiers being tested, US Open stood the test of time with vociferous crowds and leading the way on change with professional tennis. This slam and its conquest marks uniquely.

French Open - As an antidote to the Anglophone world order, this terre bautte has been rightfully a jewel in tennis history. Though admonished for not opening up to the world for a while, this slam with its gruelling stakes is highly worthy.

And who can forget the tribulations and ecstasy of nations competing on tennis grounds. The unique Davis cup that brings patriotic spirit to this individualistic sport. The passion and all those that this event seeks out from the fan.

There were four or so watershed events in the history of tennis, which in it's modern form is about 130 years old. Those that can help define an era. Those moments that looking back gives a clear picture on the events that unfold.. With it origin in 1870s as an elite sport, tennis has spread its wings to millions and millions of fans across nations that vast horizons.

The early one was the World War I that united tennis across the pond. Millions with new found hope started playing tennis as it moved away from amateur regionalistic slams. Till then, mostly the slams were competed by national players and foreign-born who settled in those countries. Much were lost about those in this Era, say Amateur Era, between 1877-WW1. With prominent clubs nationally taking the scene, it is hard to pinpoint on players who dominated across the slams.

In the aftermath of world war, tennis became more of an international sport with the slams gaining in recognition and prestige. It was also a time of expansion with local clubs spurting everywhere. Still, tennis was fairly un-commercialized and elite privileged few competed. Great Britain, France and US shared the spoils of Davis Cup. Bill Tilden, Four Musketeers and Fred Perry were the most distinguished among those in this Expansion Era that overlapped two world wars.

With the memory of brutal World War 2 behind, the Professional Era reigned in nations that survived to exhibit a sense of optimism, peace and progress. With the advent of professional tennis along with prizes, tennis had taken growth from Down Under. The amateur and pro split is now firmly seated with grand slam equivalents for professionals - Wembley, US Pro and French Pro. In an era predominately contested between Australia and US, Rod Laver and Ken Rosewall from Down-under and Pancho Gonzalez were most distinguished among these elite champions. It was during this era from WW2 till 1968, that professional tennis has taken over from its amateurish roots and firmly seated itself as a professional sport.

With the clash of old and new, comes the fondly called Open Era, where everyone can compete in slams. With strongholds of slams allowing professionals, it was time of change, conflict and confusion. Professional tours and their competing players meant that there were only a few times when the world's best were all present for the three big slams. Tennis had its champions come from many different nations with Sweden a force to reckon with. The most distinguished among those were Bjorn Borg and American duo - Jimmy Connors and John McEnroe. With a lot of feudal fighting among tours, organizations and everything, it truly was a time that put Tennis firmly in its seat as professional sport and was heavily commercialized with the advent of mass TV.

And from those turmoil gives birth to today's Modern Era of stability with the advent of Australian Open as the fourth slam and finally getting its recognition and prestige in late 1980s. Tours were unified, tournaments expanded and commercialization to its tilt, tennis exploded world wide. Champions from vast different countries and Davis cup winners all around the world. Put to the test, tennis is now shown around the world with supreme athletic and coordination skills. With competition intensified, the most distinguished of this Modern Era includes Ivan Lendl, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.

As we see, the history of tennis is long and storied with changes being thought of and inspired as times rolls by. It is truly a trivial pursuit to crown someone the greatest of them all, as you see, great men respond to changing times and champions do it both on and off-the-court.

Hope you have enjoyed this journey. I have put together a detailed spreadsheet of past champions in tennis history. It is freely available and editable by you.

Lessons From The Canadian Nationals

At the end of the summer, I watched some of the Canadian Seniors Tennis Mens Championships.

These are the annual summer championships in age groups 35-75.

And, although Canada isn't known as the strongest tennis country in the world, the Canadian champion has also been the world champion in a number of age categories in the past few years.

The final in the 35's was a brilliant example of strategic tennis.

The match pitted a very talented, old school, continental grip player against a modern, fit, semi-western grip, heavy baseliner. To make it even more interesting, the old school player is left-handed, a former satellite pro, and somewhat out of shape. To get a sense of his game think McEnroe or Laver.

The first set was fairly standard tennis with each player trying to see if their basic game was going to be enough to win. And, as the set went on, it became apparent that the more fit, topspinning, modern player was controlling baseline rallies.

The match was on clay, so it was quite difficult for the lefty to attack the net successfully. The first set went by pretty quickly, 6-2 to the baseliner.

Many observers, including an- ex Davis Cupper, left thinking the match was over.
Some of us hung in there to see what new tactics the talented lefty would try in the second set.

Lefty started to hit heavy, short slice landing somewhere around the service line.
This forced the modern player to move and to have to hit up from the service line with his semi-western grip.

Immediately, it became apparent that the modern player didn't know what to do with this ball. He certainly couldn't dominate rallies from here, didn't want to attack himself, and actually missed many shots into the net.

The savvy lefty smelled blood. He kept at it and added in some incredible drop shot returns off of first serves.

The rest of the match went smoothly with a 6-2 win in the third for the old school lefty.

For those of us watching, it was a brilliant example of changing tactics in the middle of a match to turn a losing situation into a winning one.

The key is to realize what grip you're opponent is using and what advantages and disadvantages that grip leads to. Semi-western or western forehand grips are excellent on high balls but weak on low balls.

So, try slicing to the forehand of your next opponent who's killing you with his semi-western forehand.

Until next time,

Glenn Sheiner M.D. - author of Insider Tennis Strategies How Top Tennis Players Win Big Matches guaranteed to make you a smarter tennis player and take your tennis to the next level. Also, check out the world's top tennis humor screensaver
Tennis Cartoon Screensaver. You can download a trial version for FREE.

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